Combined switch contact and fuse clip



Nov. 11, 1952 H. M. COLE COMBINED SWITCH CONTACT AND FUSE CLIP Filed Feb. 8, 1950 Hiram/76545.

Patented Nov. 11, 1952 COMBINED SWITCH CONTACT AND FUSE CLIP Herbert M. Cole, Teancck, N. J assignor to Federal Electric Products Company, Newark, N. J

a corporation Application February 8, 1950, Serial No. 143,122

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to electric switches and more particularly to a combined movable contact and fuse unit for use therein.

An object of the present invention is to provide a combined movable contact and fuse unit which is of improved construction and operation, and which is Well adapted to be used in a switch of the type known as a pull-out switch.

Another object is to provide means on a combined movable contact and fuse clip unit which allows said fuse clip, when said means is in operative condition, to hold an end of a fuse in firm engagement, and when said means is in inoperative condition, permits easy and rapid insertion or removal of said fuse.

A further object is the provision of an improved movable contact having relatively resilient prongs for the easy, quick and positive insertion or removal of the same from a stationary contact.

The above and other features, objects and advantages will become apparent when considering the following description in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of a. pull-out unit embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an end view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation View of the pull-out switch embodying the present invention being partly in section for the purpose of illustration;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 66 of Fig. 5; I

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section through one of the movable contacts in fuse-releasing or in fuseinsertion condition.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the pull-out switch It comprises a receptacle l2 and a removable frame [4 mounted thereon of the general type shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,423,227 granted July 1, 1947 to Thomas M. Cole. Receptacle l2 and frame 14 are each formed in a single integral unit from any suitable insulation material; more particularly said receptacle l2 and frame [4 are each molded in one piece from a suitable plastic, for example, Bakelite. Receptacle I2 is provided with opposite side walls I6 and an open front end which is closed by the plate 18 of frame I4 which is removably seated on front peripheral edge 25 of the receptacle and constitutes a cover therefor. Said frame 14 is provided with a handle or ball 22 secured at its ends to a strap 24 which is positioned at the inner side of plate l8 and has ears 24a which project outwardly through openings in said plate, as in said Cole patent the ends of said handle being pivotally engaged in said ears 24a respectively.

Receptacle 12 has a wall 25 offset inwardly from the front peripheral edge 20. Wall 26 is provided with a pair of spaced openings 28, each opening being in alignment longitudinally of the other (Fig. 5). Combined stationary contacts 30 and terminals 32 are of the type shown in my co-pending application, Serial No. 143,121 filed February 8, 1950, and are positioned rearwardly of Wall 26, and each is provided with an opening 34, which registers with companion opening 28. As illustrated in Fig. 6, the opposite edges 36 of opening 34 are disposed inwardly of the adjacent edges of the companion opening 28. Said stationary contact members 30 are supported adjacent to and in abuttin surface relation with the rear side of wall 26, one end of each of said stationary contact member being received in a recess 38 formed in integral projection 40 provided on the rear wall 26. The other end and terminal of said stationary contact member is mounted on outer platform 42 of receptacle I2 by means of screw 44. It will be understood that the pull-out switch embodying the present invention may be connected into an electrical circuit by securing conductors 46 and 48 to terminals 32.

A plurality of pair of combined fuse holdersand movable contacts 50 and 52, to which this invention is more particularly directed, are mounted on the inner side of plate l8. Since the movable contacts 50 and 52 are of the same construction, it will be sufficient herein to describe one of the movable contacts 50 and the manner in which it is attached to frame [4, it being understood that the description thereof applies as well to each of the other movable contacts. Each movable contact constitutes a combined movable contact and fuse clip, the latter being in alignment with another fuse clip of movable contact 52 and engaging the end of a fuse 54. The movable contact 50 comprises laterally spaced, adjacent prongs 56 and 58 in confronting relation and integral with an end connecting portion 60. The end connecting portion 66 is positioned within a recess 62 formed by a peripheral, continuous projection 64 on the inner side of plate l8 of frame l4, said end connecting portion being secured in said recess by screw 65. Said portion 60 lies adjacent opposite sides of said projection so that the contact member 55 is held against turning about the axis of screw 66. The head of screw 65 is positioned in recess 68 in the outer surface of plate I8, said recess being filled with Wax or other insulating material (not shown) for covering the head of said screw at the front of the switch. Prong 56 of the movable contact has a concave portion which is opposed to companion concave surface 12 of prong 58. Accordingly, it will be understood that concave portion 10 and companion concave surface 12 are adapted to hold the adjacent end terminal of fuse 54.

Concave portion 10 of prongr55 has a struckout tongue 76 which projects through'anopening 16 in prong 56 formed by said struck-out tongue, and through an opening 18 in prong 53 of the movable contact 50. Tongue M is provided with an integral detent portion lea which is adapted to engage a portion 80 of prong 58 which is adjacent-an edge of opening 18 (Figs. 3, 4 and 7').

- When detent portion 14a oftongue it is engaged or caught on portion 85 of prong 58, adjacent prongs 56 and 58 are prevented from relatively moving laterally away from each other, but are not prevented from moving toward each other and back again to'detent-engaging'position, therefore there is'suflicient yieldability in said adjacent prongs 55 and 58 respectively to allow the movable contact 56 to easily engage and disengage its companion stationary contact in theopening thereof, with prong 56 making contact with one edge 36 at said opening while adjacent, opposed prong 55 engages and makes electrical contact with the opposite-edge 35 of the opening 3% of the companion stationary contact member 30 (Fig. 6-). The outer end portions 8| of the companion prong parts 55 and 58 are bent toward each other to guide the contact portion of the prong into the companion opening 34 of the stationary contact 35.

It will be observed that by reason of the above described construction of contact members 50 and 52, adequate resiliency is provided for engagement with the fuse terminal and with the stationary contact and at the-same-timeexcessive spreadingof the contact prongs 56 and 58 away from each other is prevented. In addition there is provided a positive clamping action on the fuse terminals which is independent of the engagement of the contact members in the stationary contact,

As illustrated in Fig. 7, tongue It can be bent if necessary to permit the'detent portion I la, thereof to be lifted out of its engaged position, if desired, thereby allowing laterally spaced prongs 56 and 58 to move laterally away from each other permitting easy and rapid insertion or removal of fuse 55.

As illustrated in Fig. 6, wall 26- of receptacle 12 has additional openings 82 disposed laterally of the pairs of openings 26 in order that frame l4 may be placed in the receptacle [2 without closing the switch. Accordingly, this is accomplished by turning the frame 180 from the normal switch-closing or contact-engaging position shown in Fig. 6. It will be understood that when the frame is in the last mentioned position, it may be seated on edge 20 of receptacle [2 since the movable contact members 50 and 52 project 4 into openings 62 in the open condition of the switch. The opposite side walls N5 of receptacle E2 are provided with vertical grooves 84' to receive the aligned barrier and guide plates 85 constituting integral parts of frame i i. Grooves 84 and the companion members 86 which are slidable in said grooves thus provide means for guiding the movable contact members as and 52' either into engagement with the companion stationary contacts 59 or for positioning said movable contact members into openings 82.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention it will be understood that various changes in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the underlying. idea or principles of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A combined pronged contact and fuse clip for a fused switch provided with astationary contact to receive said pronged contact, comprising a member having spaced confronting fuseterminal engaging portions resiliently movable.

toward and away from each other, each of said portions terminating in a contact-engaging portion, said contact-engaging portions terminating in relatively movable spaced free outer ends for resilient engagement with said stationary contact of the switch, one of said fuse-terminal engaging portions having a struck out detent element directed toward the other of said fuse-terminal engaging portions, and the contact-engaging portion of said other fuse-terminal engaging portion, having an opening in which said element is engaged for limiting movement of said spaced outer ends of said contact-engaging portions away from each other, said fuse-terminal engaging portions being curved in opposite directions and extending from the opposite ends, respectively, of a planar securing portion, said detent element being disposed in substantially parallel relation to said planar portion, and being struck from a part of its fuse-terminal engaging portion which overlies said planar portion.

2. A combined pronged contact and fuse clip, as defined in claim 1, further characterized in that the opening defined by said struck-out detent element extends .into the contact-engaging portion of said one fuse-terminal engaging portion, and said detent element extends through said last mentioned opening into said first mentioned opening,

HERBERT M. COLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,200,825 Fenety Oct. 10, 1916' 1,567,155 Litchfield Dec. 29, 1925 2,186,813 Adam et al Jan. 9, 1940 2,309,311 Grohsgal Jan. 26, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 120,700 Great Britain Dec, 6, 1934 

